Observance of Agronomic and Nutritive Profile of Some Silage Corn Hybrids in Central Anatolian Region of Turkey

Abstract

The silage corn (SC) production and yield per area in Turkey have increased over the last decade owing to their high economic importance. The first objective of the current study was to determine the agronomic and nutritive profiles of SC hybrids in the Central Anatolian region of Ankara, Turkey. The other objective was to determine the relationship between silage maturity and corn heat unit (CHU) and growing degree day (GDD) ratings. The current study was set up as a randomized complete block design with three replications. Certified seeds of five dissimilar SC hybrids (cv PL 712, cv TORRO, cv CHAMP, cv MACHA, cv RANGER) (n=5) were established in the field. SC hybrids showed variation among themselves. Differences were also detected in all parameters, except dry matter (DM) content and crude protein (CP) yield. Cv “MACHA” had the highest nutritive profile [CP: 9.60%; acid detergent fiber (ADF): 30.02%; neutral detergent fiber (NDF): 51.62%; acid detergent lignin (ADL): 3.72%; total digestible nutrient (TDN): 62.60%; metabolic energy (ME): 2.34 Mcal kg-1 DM; net energy production (NEp): 1.50 Mcal kg-1 DM]. One of the other hybrids, Cv “CHAMP” had the highest yield components [silage yield: 104.20 t ha-1; dry matter yield: 35.4 t ha-1; TDN yield: 21.10 t ha-1; ME yield: 77880.00 Mcal ha-1; NEp yield: 49914.00 Mcal ha-1]. There was a significant correlation between silage maturity and CHU and GDD ratings [CHUseed (r = 0.84, P= 0.001), CHUsilk (r = 0.90, P